8 ways to increase your water intake

If you don’t drink enough water you run the risk of becoming dehydrated, if this happens too often it can impact your health; so it’s important to increase your water intake.

Water is the most valuable component of our diet. You can go without food for days, or weeks in extreme cases but no one can survive more than a few days without water.

Thirst is not a good indicator of whether or not you should drink – by the time you are thirsty, you have already started to dehydrate. Early signs of dehydration can include light-headiness, fatigue and nausea.

A simple way to know if you are drinking enough water is to check the colour of your urine. If you are drinking enough water it will have little colour to it, if it is yellow your body needs more water.

If you struggle to drink your daily quota try these 8 tips to increase your water intake:

Invest in a water filter – Filtered water definitely does have a better taste than tap water

Aim for 8 glasses a day – Put 2 litres of water in the fridge each day and make sure you drink the whole lot by the end of the day

Take a water bottle with you wherever you go

Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice to your water

Try plain soda or mineral water instead of still water

Put a glass near the tap in the kitchen, fill up every time you go into the kitchen

Avoid drinking coffee and tea, add a wedge of fresh lemon to boiling water

Stop buying soft drinks and sports drinks as they are filled with sugar – If you don’t buy it you can’t drink it!

A few final thoughts on hydration

Don’t confuse hunger with thirst. If you are not sure if you are thirsty or hungry, drink a glass of water, wait ten minutes and see if you are still hungry.

Always drink lots of water before, during and after exercise; water helps to lubricate your joints and regulate body temperature.

Water plays a very important role in flushing toxins from the body, which is vital for well-being, so drink up.